I'll Only Be That Lucky Once
by c7a8t9
Summary: A patient on the way to PPTH for a consult falls ill, and it's up to House to solve the case. But this isn't an ordinary patient. Nonship, lots of HW friendship, real medical info. Please read and review. Updated 3/26, ch 34!
1. Tainted Beef and MDS

**I'll Only Be That Lucky Once**

**Ch 1 Tainted Beef and MDS**

Dr. House sat in exam room 1 listening to a patient's tale while playing his PSP.

"I saw a report on the news about some tainted beef and I ate beef last week and..."

"How do you feel?" asked House

"Well, alright I guess."

"No vomiting?"

"No"

"Diarrhea?"

"None"

"You, unfortunately, seem fine."

"Unfortunately?"

"Yes it's very unfortunate. For one thing, you just wasted 10 minutes of my life. Worse, you made me bored and I don't get to do anything cool with you. And, worse for you, I have to justify your trip here by prescribing some of the world's most expensive vitamins to you," House responded.

"But... but..."

House opened his mouth to reply, but his pager went off. It said, "I need your help - Wilson"

"Well, it appears we have both been saved by the bell. Go home and stop watching the news. Try MTV."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's up?" House asked as he caught up with Wilson in the hall.

"Seven year old female, on the way to the hospital for a consult, developed a fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting."

"Why are you telling me this? It's a seven year old with the flu. Am I here to alert the media? Go get a pediatrician," House responded.

Wilson continued, undeterred, "As the trip continued, she developed abdominal pain, joint pain and stiffness."

"Oh, poor baby. What is this? Another fake cousin? Is it a homeless kid?!"

"Then, as they pulled into the hotel in Princeton, she began seizing," Wilson was a man on a mission.

"Slightly cooler, but not much," House conceded. "Is Cuddy putting you up to some trick? Are you gonna make me go without Vicodin for another week?" House asked as he sped up past Wilson. An odd look crossed Wilson's face, but he called out to House's retreating back, "She's immune compromised- she was diagnosed with MDS a few months ago."

House stopped dead in his tracks and came back to Wilson. "You meant MDS as in a myelodysplastic syndrome, right?"

Wilson nodded yes.

"And you're not confusing a 7 year old girl with a 57 year old man?"

Wilson shook his head no.

"Well then, I'm finally interested. Walk with me my friend, talk with me."

"Okay, where to?" Wilson asked, a little unsure.

"Where else? The patient's bedside," House responded.

"Why?" questioned Wilson, nervous about what House's answer would be.

"If kids with cancer as common as an MRI order are brave little soldiers, I want to see how brave a kid with a one in a million illness that's not even supposed to strike her gender or age group is."

"You're... You're," Wilson fumed.

"An ? I know. I've heard that one before."


	2. Sclerosed veins and brain transplants

**A/N: Hi everyone, sorry I didn't do this in Chapter 1. This is my first story. The obvious applies: I don't own House, please read and review, etc. There's some medical info in this fic, but I tried to explain it all. If you don't get something, leave a comment and I'll answer your question. Thanks!**

**Ch 2 Sclerosed veins and brain transplants**

They approached the patient's room and were unable to see the patient because a large crowd of people standing around her bed.

"Med students," Wilson decried "they must be getting a lecture right by this poor, scared girl's bedside!"

He pushed the door open and both of them were shocked to find the students listening not to a professor or another doctor, but to the patient herself.

"I have small veins to begin with, and then this arm has some sclerosed tissue in it so drawing blood out of it is nearly impossible," she explained, indicating her left arm.

"And can you explain what sclerosis is?" one of the senior doctors asked.

"Sure," she replied. "It's scar tissue that forms in the veins. I got it because of all the times I've been stuck for blood samples."

House and Wilson noted that most of the students seemed very interested in what she had to say. Some of them appeared to be hanging on her every word and practically taking notes.

"Whoa," whispered Wilson. "This kid is incredible!"

"Oh, come on," House challenged, **"**you hang around long enough, you pick up a few things."

Wilson consulted the chart in his hands. "She's seven and was diagnosed two years ago."

House shrugged.

"Does _nothing_ impress you?"

"It takes a lot. What's her name anyway?"

"Since when do you care?"

"Cuddy told me not knowing names makes the hospital look bad. She threatened to add clinic hours. I also have make a 'more personal connection' with the patients."

"I see," smirked Wilson. "Her name is Eliza."

"Lovely name," said House as he left the room and picked up his pace down the hall.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I have a theory about what's wrong with her," House explained with a hint of mischief in his voice.

"What?"

"Hey Foreman!" called House.

"What?" said Foreman from down the hall, with a tired sound to his voice.

"Are brain transplants still impossible?"

"Uh... yeah," Foreman said and walked on, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Bummer. There goes that theory," muttered House.

"What was that about?" inquired Wilson.

"Well, my theory was that the brain and immune system of a 57 year old oncologist was transplanted into that girl's body. But of course, Foreman had to ruin that," scoffed House.

Wilson's gears were turning, and something clicked.

"Hold on, did you say a 57 year old _oncologist_?"

"Yeah, why? Is it supposed to be a hematologist? You people are all the same."

"I don't know actually, MDS doesn't really fit in a category based on the way the disease is understood now. It is a blood disorder but it's pre-leukemic so it's an orphan disease that fits in oncology or hematology. That's why the mom scheduled a consult with me and with Dr. Wolfe in hematology," Wilson said breezily. "What I meant is you were impressed by her. That's why you said the brain of an expert rather than just the immune system."

"Ok," House conceded with a smirk. "You got me: little babes with big brains and compromised immune systems impress me." He started down the hall towards his office.

"Yeah, sure," Wilson rolled his eyes. "Wait! Are you going to do a differential?"

House nodded.

"You're going to need her file," Wilson stated.

"So hand it over," House responded impatiently.

"I don't know if you can handle it with your cane," Wilson admitted.

"I can take it, just give it to me." House's tone was agitated.

Wilson handed it over and House staggered slightly but determinedly walked down the hall and into his office.


	3. The file of an elderly hypochondriac?

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please continue to put them up.**

**Ch 3 The file of an elderly hypochondriac?**

Chase, Cameron, and Foreman were sitting around the conference table occupying themselves with various forms of busy work. House strode in as bouncily as he could, encumbered by Eliza's huge file. He dumped it on the table with a bang. The ducklings jumped and stared at the file which was full to bursting.

"What is that?" Foreman questioned.

"Is it the file of some elderly hypochondriac?"Chase asked.

"Nope. You're wrong on both counts. It's actually the file of a very young person who really is very sick." House replied. "Now, people, differential diagnosis..." House wrote on the board as he spoke, "for fever. nausea, sore throat, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, stiffness and pain in the neck and back. And throw in a febrile seizure while you're at it."

"Wait, how young? And why is this case coming to us?" Cameron inquired.

"She's seven going on fifty-seven, has a compromised immune system and because, frankly, you guys looked bored."

The team was shocked. They didn't think House would notice. Chase was about to ask about House's compromised immune system comment, but House continued.

"Why does it matter?" House intoned. "Come on, people, differential."

"Meningitis," Foreman offered. House wrote it down.

"Celiac accounts for some of the symptoms.," Cam added.

"Sort of OK, but I'll take other offers," House responded, not writing that one down.

"Basically every virus known to man," Chase pointed out dejectedly.

"Good. That really narrows it down," snarked House. "Foreman, you go test for everything Chase said, and yours and Cameron's too. And, what the heck, while you're sticking her, get a CBC and chem-7."

"Why me?" protested Foreman, "Those were their ideas."

"I'm scared to send them in there. I don't want Chase to get into any more make out sessions with young chronically ill girls and I don't want Cameron to fall to pieces on us. No offense to either of you, but Foreman's going to draw the blood, and you two," House said, patting Eliza's records, "are going to go over this with a fine tooth comb. Take note of any leads that may tell us what she has."

"What are you going to do?" Chase asked

"What else? I'm going to get a patient history from the mother."


	4. It's my job

**Ch 4 It's my job**

Mary sat in a waiting area outside Eliza's room, drinking tea and trying to relax and compose herself. House approached her and introduced himself.

"Hello. My name is Dr. House."

"Hi.." Mary replied.

"I'm your daughter's doctor and I need to ask you a few questions."

"But isn't Dr. Wilson her doctor?" Mary wondered.

"Dr Wilson has called me in on a consult," House explained.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Wonderful. He called you in to do the work because he has no idea what's wrong with her just like every other doctor I've talked too," Mary complained. "They have more treatment options for a hangnail than for my daughter's life-threatening illness."

"Well, to be fair, hangnails are simpler than immune systems and the bone marrow," House wasn't fazed by her outburst.

"Well, could they at least give me some options."

"I'm not really here for that. I'm here to get some info and cure your daughters infection, so that how her MDS is treated doesn't become a moot point."

"What do you need to know?" Mary sighed, House's comment taking all the fight out of her.

"What medications is she on currently?"

"50 mgs 2 times a day of Cyclosporine, 30 mgs 2 times a day of predisone, but it's being tapered, a kids multivitamin, and a Chinese herbal remedy."

House scoffed. "Oh, great. You're one of those 'alternative medicine' people. What, the real doctors weren't doing enough so you got the local witch doctor to brew her a magic potion?" House snapped.

"No, I was bored of sitting in a hospital watching her die while the doctors scratched their heads. So I researched _proven_ _medical treatments _that I made sure would not harm my daughter and had _scientific evidence _behind them saying they would make her better," Mary was no pushover.

"And yet she is still lying in the hospital," House pointed out coldly. "But I've read those studies and herbs are not causing this illness. Do you have a family history of celiac or another illness?"

"I prepared a complete synopsis of her medical history for the purpose of the consults. Here's a copy." Mary dug out a large binder. "A maternal great aunt had celiac but no one else in the family did."

House took the paper. "And I trust her whole file came with her?" Mary nodded.

"I gave Dr. Wilson everything."

"Good. Then I have everything. Can you just outline the way her symptoms presented?"

"Well, at first she was just tired and I thought she needed a red cell transfusion, but then she got virus-like symptoms. When she got the muscle soreness, I got worried. I know she wouldn't survive an infection like meningitis. I planned to come straight to the hospital, and then as we pulled into the hotel, she had that seizure." Mary shuddered, holding back tears, her voice quivering.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, I think that's it."

"Okay, well, I'll be in touch."

"Thank you very much, Dr House."

House paused and almost did a double take.

"I was warned about you and your attitude. But I know the most arrogant, condescending, devoid-of-bedside-manner doctors are the best ones."

"You don't need to thank me. It's my job."


	5. Pain Bulids Character

**Ch 5 Pain Builds Character**

"Okay, let's all share what we learned." House announced striding back into the office. "I'll start. Her mother is a piece of work. Cameron, you next."

"She has some right to be a piece of work," Cameron countered. "She has had a horrible time of it. Her daughter presented with a two hour nosebleed and then it took the doctors forever to diagnose her with Aplastic Anemia, _then_ they found a lost test result that said she had MDS. They prepped her for a transplant with a 5/6 related donor, but she went into a spontaneous remission, so they released her. She relapsed and is now transfusion dependent. She's having these consults to try and find a doctor who will offer her an alternative to a treatment with total body irradiation (TBI). She has had hundreds of transfusions, dozens of bone marrow aspirates, and two rounds of ATG."

"That's impressive," House allowed. "But mostly irrelevant to the disease she has right now. Chase? Foreman? Anything to offer?"

"All her counts are in the toilet, especially her white count and neutrophils," Foreman explained. "Her chemistries are fine, and she doesn't have any of the infections I tested for, or Celiac. We can't keep sticking her, though, we need to narrow our search."

"Well, that was devoid of useful information," House commented. "But narrowing our search is probably a good idea. So, anyone have any ideas?"

House went over to the white board, picked up a marker, and prepared to write.

"CMV could be a possibility," Chase suggested. House looked to Foreman

"She's a carrier, so we don't know if she really has it or not."

"Well, come on guys, more ideas," House prompted.

"Does she have a Pickman or central line?" Foreman asked. "There could be a bacterial infection in that."

"No, she doesn't have a line," Cameron snapped. "Don't you think she would have told you if she did when you were drawing the blood, so you could have drawn blood from that rather than stick her with a needle?"

"Did she have one pulled recently?" Foreman continued, ignoring Cameron's comment. "The infection could be residual from that."

"No. In fact, her records show she only once had a central line when she was going to transplant. But, when she got better, her mom wanted her to be able to swim so they took it out," Cameron said.

"Isn't that a little cruel, subjecting her to all those needles?" Chase pointed out.

"No, of course it's not cruel," House scoffed. "Pain builds character. She's probably developed enough character to write a novel."

He looked at the board. "We're getting nowhere. I think I need to go talk to the kid's mom again."


	6. I have a good memory

**Ch 6** **I have a good memory**

House pulled aside the glass door in Eliza's room and stepped in. Mary quickly looked up from Eliza's bed.

"Oh, it's you, Dr House."

"The one and only. I need to ask you a few more questions. Has... uh, your daughter had all her immunizations."

"_Eliza,_" Mary emphasized, "had all of her immunizations up to age four. She stopped the normal course when she was diagnosed. But, we did a little catch-up a few months ago when she was feeling better."

"Do you know what she got then?"

"I'm not totally sure," Mary fumbled through the ever-present 3-ring binder. "Oh, it should be here. I'm usually so good about things but the last couple months, her treatment has been so crazy."

"It's very important," House told her. "Can you remember any of them?"

"MMR, polio, hep B and C and a tetanus booster." Eliza was awake. Mary looked at her, shocked. House appeared unsurprised.

"What medications are you allergic to?" he asked.

"Augmentin, Bactrim, Cephapime, Immipenim, Vancomyicin, and Neomycin," Mary and Eliza said in unison. Eliza laughed.

How did you remember that?" Mary wondered.

"You've only told a million doctors the exact same thing. I have a good memory."

"Okay, well have you been exposed to any allergens or anyone who is sick?"

"No, we've been very careful. All the kids at school know not to come if they are sick, we wash our hands religiously. We've taken every precaution."

"Okay," House said. "How about siblings?"

"She has a brother John who is 5 but he hasn't been sick and we would keep them apart if he was."

"Alright,"House replied making a note on his paper. "Are you feeling any worse... uh.."

"Eliza, and no I'm just still sore."

"What hurts?"

"My stomach, abs, neck and back. My throat is still sore and I still have a fever. I'm not puking anymore, though."

"Anti-nausea meds."

"Yep, and I'm getting fluids to the point that it's coming out my ears."

"Good," House chuckled making another note. "I'll be back if we have any more questions."


	7. The Three Musketeers

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I've been very busy. Thanks for reading!**

**Ch 7 The Three Musketeers**

"If you need any info, ask the kid, not the mom," House proclaimed rejoining his team in the conference room.

"Why would we do that? Isn't a parent a much more reliable source of information than a kid?" Chase questioned incredulously.

"Usually, yes, but the kid has the memory of an elephant and the mom is a little frazzled. It's understandable," Foreman answered.

"Why are you agreeing with me?" Now it was House's turn to sound incredulous.

"When I went in to draw the blood, two nurses came in to hang a bag of platelets. They had to check the paper order against the information on the bag of platelets. She recited word for word with the nurses. She's extremely observant."

"And the mom's lost."

"Her daughter is dying of a rare illness, she has to take care of her and all these consults while still worrying abut her family and everything else that's going on in her life. She has to juggle everything, of course she's a little out of it," Foreman said defensively.

"Well, I agree with you on one point. The kid is sick. Any infection could kill her since she is so immuno-compromised. We need ideas. Anything, come on guys, there are no stupid ideas." The ducklings hesitated in thought, then found their voices.

"West Nile,"

"CO2 poisoning,"

"Tuberculosis,"

"Whooping cough,"

"Malaria,"

"Serum sickness,"

"Hodgkin's, Non-Hodgkin's, Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Sickle Cell." Wilson had joined them. House looked up briefly, then went back to writing.

"RSV,"

"Guillain-Barre,"

"SARS,"

"Anything else?" House prompted, looking at the list. "Okay then, let's get rid of the stupid ideas."

"But I thought you said there were no stupid ideas," Chase demanded.

"I lied," House admitted. "Okay, well she's not black and has no family history, so it's not sickle cell. She's never been out of the country, so it's not SARS or Malaria. It's not CO2 since the mom's fine, and she's not coughing, so no whooping cough." House ran down the list, crossing out disease names as he spoke. Then he turned to Wilson. "How likely are the cancers?"

"Leukemia is possibility since the MDS could have progressed. The others are also possibilities."

"Then let's test her for all the smart ideas. Get a bone marrow biopsy to test for the cancers and run blood tests for everything else." House directed, indicating the disease names he hadn't crossed out."I need some air. Let me know what you find out."

"All three of us?" Cameron inquired.

"Yeah. I like the Three Musketeers routine. All of you can go. But Foreman?"

"Yes?"

"Take them out if they try any funny business," House winked.

Foreman rolled his eyes and followed Chase and Cameron out the door.


	8. Stealing their childhood

**Ch 8 Stealing their childhood**

"So what's with this one?" House asked Wilson as they walked down the hall.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean why is she here and why did you beg me to take this case?"

"I didn't beg-" Wilson began, then stopped himself. Arguing with House was pointless. Instead, he answered the question. "She's here because her mother requested a consult with me and I agreed to see her. That's what you do when you are a good doctor who is sought out by sick people for help." Wilson deadpanned, knowing House's history (or lack thereof) with consults.

House didn't answer. Wilson followed him down to the cafeteria. Once they were seated at a table with their usuals, House a dry Reuben with no pickles and Wilson a tuna on rye, House started up again.

"Why does she need a consult? She's from Boston! They have the best oncology centers in the world. First thing after she was diagnosed with MDS, she should have been in transplant."

"Yes, but because she was diagnosed with MDS, Boston wanted to give her total body irradiation as part of the treatment regimen which would destroy her damaged bone marrow before she received the new marrow. TBI would stunt her growth, give her learning disabilities, organ damage, cataracts, and possible hormonal problems or sterility. Plus, the transplant is risky since she doesn't have a donor whose bone marrow is perfectly matched with hers. So, her mom wants to see if any doctor, looking at her file, would recommend a different treatment. However, she was diagnosed with MDS because she had a chromosomal abnormality that pointed to MDS. I don't think any doctor would recommend anything else, and delaying could mean her illness progresses to leukemia."

"So, basically, the mom is killing her kid for the sake of sparring her from treatment complications."

"Well, yeah but you never know what a doctor who is an MDS expert would say. They may think its Aplastic anemia, the disease she was originally diagnosed with. I've also seen some pretty extreme cases of mother's intuition being correct."

"That's crap. She doesn't know anything about medicine. Long term complications can be managed, if she gets leukemia, she might die."

"You have a point. But, the mom is looking at it differently. The best match they have is a 5 out of 6 match in her uncle. Long term survival rates are only a little better than 50/50. Plus, there is an astronomical rate of recurring cancers in adulthood. If she tries imunosuppression again or uses the transplant preparation protocol for Aplastic anemia she has fewer long term complications, but she has a higher likelihood of of relapse because there is an abnormality in her cells. The mother questions the validity of the chromosome tests, since she doesn't believe they are totally conclusive and Eliza wouldn't have been tested for them if she wasn't in Boston. Mary also has to think about quality of life. I don't envy her this dilemma."

"I think the mom's biased against having to deal with long term complications. I think we should ask the kid."

"You can't leave that kind of thing up to a 7 year old! And besides, if the mom doesn't know anything about medicine, the Eliza knows less than nothing."

"I wouldn't count on it," said House, smirking. "I think the kid has a few IQ points over the mom, at least."

"But she's biased towards living and can't understand the impact of the complications she would be facing."

"I'm still not sure why you're so invested in this case."

"Its an interesting rarity. MDS is rare and it isn't prevalent in females or young people. Eliza is a fighter. So is her mom."

"Oh, yes the brave, noble little sick kids," House mocked.

"Don't be such an !" Wilson admonished.

"They are not all perfect! It's a logical impossibility. Some of them have to be scared brats. They're put on a pedestal because they're seen as tragic little saints, but they can't all be heroes."

"It's not about being perfect. It's about handling a great injustice, a major inconvenience that constitutes the stealing of their childhood, and a terrifying fate with grace and courage."

"I still stand by my theory. One of these days I'll find a scared brat. What's the rest of her family doing?"

"Her dad and brother are at home so they can go to work and school. Dad is in business and her brother's in kindergarten."

"Nothing important there,"

"Nope,"

"Let's see if the test results came in."


	9. You missed your calling as a professor

**Ch 9 You missed your calling as a professor, Jimmy**

House entered the office to find the ducklings sitting around staring into space.

"Who died?" House quipped.

"No one," Cameron snapped. "But our patient might. We have no idea whats wrong with her."

"_All_ the tests came back negative?" House asked incredulously

"Yup," Chase replied. "She's getting worse too. She can barely move her legs, her fever's up, stomach pain is increasing, everything is worse."

"And there's more," Foreman continued with a sigh "We did a bone marrow biopsy to test for leukemia and the results came back."

"Wow, Foreman, how did you get them to do it so quickly?" House asked, giving him a knowing wink.

Foreman didn't even smile. "Remember the genetic abnormality they found on the 'lost' test result that told them she had MDS?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, in the cell sample we tested, it wasn't there."

"What!?" Wilson and House exclaimed together

"Let me see her file and the results," Wilson said quickly.

All was quiet in the room for a few minutes as Wilson carefully studied the file.

"Okay, I think I know how this happened. When bone marrow- or any cells- are tested for abnormalities, it's done by random sampling, just like a complete blood count. They take a few cells and assume they represent all the cells in the body statistically. It's like that 'Shrink the world to a village of 100 people' e-mail that goes around. So, in the first sampling of cells they took from Eliza, 4 out of 14 cells had a small p7 deletion." Wilson went over to the white board and began to draw what looked like two U's, a larger one right side up and a smaller one upside down. "Each chromosome has two 'arms'. The smaller one (here Wilson indicated the smaller u) is the p arm and the bigger one is the q arm. A p7 deletion means the p arm of her 7th chromosome is missing. So, in the first sample, about 30 of her cells had one of the genetic abnormalities that can indicate MDS. Assuming the random sampling is representative, 30 of her cells in her bone marrow have this mutation. That's why they diagnosed her with MDS and wanted to proceed with transplant. However, when she was tested again 0 of 45 cells had the deletion. So, the question becomes, which one is a representative sample?"

"But since not all the cells in her body have the abnormality isn't it a clonal abnormality, and how small a p7 deletion are we talking?" House responded without missing a beat.

There was a pause. Wilson and the ducklings were surprised yet again by all that House knew.

"By the way, you missed your calling as a professor Jimmy. Though you're kind of preaching to the choir since everyone else in the room is a doctor too," House added.

Another pause. A mix of annoyance, embarrassment, and pride at the half-compliment played on Wilson's face. The ducklings were silent. Cameron was the only one who had extensively studied genetics in med school. Chase and Foreman had learned some, but had forgotten more. None of the ducklings spoke, for fear of looking bad in front of their boss. Wilson, though, finally found his voice, and answered House's questions.

"Well, technically, yes I guess it is a clonal abnormality, since it appears to be a line of replications from a single damaged cell," Wilson conceded. "And the p7 deletion is small, but it's definitely present in one test but not in another."

House nodded, satisfied for now. Then he turned on Chase, who's earlier comment he had not forgotten.

"She can't move her legs?" House inquired.

"And she's starting to have trouble with her arms."

As House was about to respond, Cuddy came in with the hospital's armed security guard.  
"House, you're due in the clinic NOW!" she ordered. House had been skirting his duties for weeks, and Cuddy had had it. "Come or I'll have the guard escort you." she growled in a warning tone.

"Yes, warden," House sighed. "But don't I get one phone call or a heartfelt goodbye?" he pleaded, giving her puppy eyes.

Cuddy looked at her watch. "You have 60 seconds."

"Okay, Wilson's in charge. Do as much research as possible. Find out about other cases of this chromosome switching thing and talk to the mom about it. However, this will all be useless if we don't stop the paralysis and cure what she has right now."

Wilson and the ducklings just nodded. House turned on his heel as well as he could, saluted to Cuddy and marched out the door, loudly humming a chain-gang work song.


	10. The clinic

**Ch 10 The Clinic**

After three people with colds who insisted they had SARS - "So buy some surgical masks, go home, draw up your will, and get fluids, rest and some vitamin C.", - and a woman who though her son had a concussion because he couldn't tell her who was president - "Presumably, the people Leno talks to on the street don't all have concussions"- another woman and her son came in.

"My son has a fever and he is vomiting. I think he has measles. Oh, God, will he be okay? He just had his vaccine and then I read that it can cause the disease. I shouldn't have vaccinated him. Can you please help him doctor?"

"Does anything hurt?" House asked the small, scared looking kid sitting on the exam table. In a voice so small it was almost a whisper, the boy answered "No,"

"Did he get a shot?"House questioned the mom.

"Yes, I just told you he did! I don't know how you can be so calm when my child might be gravely ill!"

House remained calm, almost bored. "He's fine. The measles vaccine doesn't come in the oral version that causes the disease more often. He would only get it if he's allergic to a preservative in the shot version and an oral vaccine is only available for..." House trailed off and stared at the wall, deep in thought. Suddenly, he stood up and headed for the door.

"That's it? What's wrong with my son?" the woman demanded.

House turned around, "He has the flu, so yeah, that's it. Next time read the medical journal article all the way through."

"You're leaving?!" Cuddy exclaimed angrily as House passed the nurse's desk.

"Emergency. Won't happen again," House smiled and crossed his fingers as he limped to the elevator.


	11. We're not done yet

**Ch 11 We're not done yet**

Wilson and the ducklings were gathered around Eliza's bed, talking to Mary.

"But why is she having so much trouble moving?" Mary asked. At that moment, House burst into the room.

"Polio," he blurted out.

"What?" they all exclaimed.

House ignored them and continued. "She is allergic to neomycin so she can't get the inactivated polio vaccine. So, your local pediatrician's office gives her the oral version which in one in several thousand cases can actually give you polio. However, what they overlooked is that having no immune system increases those odds. So, she gets the vaccine and comes down with polio. It all fits."

"My daughter has polio?" Mary exclaimed, in shock.

"We need to test to confirm it," Foreman informed her, frowning at House. "But it appears to be extremely likely."

"Well, what can you do?"Mary asked.

House took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, there really isn't a treatment for polio. That's why the vaccine exists. If a normal person gets polio most only show the first mild symptoms your daughter had. Their immune system fights it off like any other virus and they move on with their lives, probably never realizing they had polio. But, your daughter doesn't have enough of an immune system to fight it off."

"So what's going to happen?" Mary wondered.

Wilson stepped in. "The paralysis will continue to progress to the rest of her body. We will continue to provide supportive care and manage her discomfort, but eventually her breathing muscles will be paralyzed. I'm so sorry."

House looked at the ducklings and jerked his head towards the door. They followed him out as Wilson tried to comfort a distraught Mary.

"We're not done yet," House declaredto the ducklings. They just looked at each other and followed him back to the office.


	12. God Bless Jonas Salk!

**A/N: Sorry I've been so slow to update! Thanks to everyone who is reading!**

**Ch 12 God Bless Jonas Salk!**

House paced back and forth in front of the white board. The ducklings sat and stared blankly at him.

"There must be something we can do," Cameron wondered hopefully.

"There's nothing," Foreman told her. "We caught it too late. Why didn't we think of polio earlier?"

"I'll tell you why," exclaimed House, "because it's been 'eradicated' from the US. God bless Jonas Salk! We don't have to think about polio anymore. We assume we can conquer a disease, wipe it off the face of the planet, but this just goes to show that beating a disease is like beating a pro boxer. They look like they're down, but then they come back swinging."

"There isn't a treatment and it's too late for another vaccine dose to help her," Foreman said. "The boxer dealt us a death blow."

House sat down. "You're probably right."

"I hate sports metaphors," Cameron muttered under her breath.

The ducklings waited for further instructions. None came. Eventually, they got up, left and headed off to do their own work and clinic duty. House sat, chin resting on his cane, staring off into space for a long time. Suddenly, he stood up, and left the office, limping gingerly down the hall. When he got to Eliza's room he slid the door open and stepped inside.

"Wake up," he said. "I know you're not asleep and I know you were awake for everything so I don't have to explain anything to you, do I?"

Slowly Eliza opened her eyes and nodded. "So you understand everything?"

Eliza shook her head. "One thing I don't get is: how can the chromosomes change?" she asked, referencing the news Wilson had given her mother earlier, before House came in.

Her mom had done lots of research and understood the genetic stuff, but Eliza hadn't been told any of it.

In truth, there was another thing she didn't know. Wilson had said something about her breathing muscles and 'I'm so sorry'. In her experience those were not good signs. But she had started to drift off and hadn't caught the whole thing he said. She knew she could ask and that House would answer in his brutally honest way, rather than the issue-skirting protect-the-little-kid method her doctors and mom used. But she didn't dare ask. As long as she didn't know for sure, she could hope and convince herself that she was not facing the last hours of her life. That was one medical fact she could do without knowing.

House could tell she was thinking, so he gave her a minute while he tried to figure out how to outline genetic abnormalities, and how to get to the real issue he had come to address. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"Chromosomes don't change. What happened in your case is you have a problem with some chromosomes in some of your cells, which is called a clonal abnormality. Yours is in a place that is consistent with having MDS. But, it's only in some of your cells. So when they test your bone marrow they take a few cells and look at them. The ones they took before had a lot of damaged cells, which is why they thought you had MDS. But, the cells we took didn't have any problems with any of them. So there are still some in your body, but in a much lower concentration then they first thought."

"So does this mean I don't have MDS?"

"I'm not sure what it means," House admitted. "There is still something very wrong with your bone marrow. However, this test result is a strike to the theory that you have MDS. But you understand that that isn't the important thing right now, though, right?"

Eliza nodded, then winced. "It's getting harder to move. Though I never thought someone would say my MDS wasn't important."

House smiled, then got to the reason he had come. "How are you always so brave seeming?" he asked, directly, but a bit hesitantly.

"I was waiting for you to ask that," she smiled.


	13. Man this sucks!

**Ch 13 Man this sucks!**

House noticed that Eliza's smile lit her whole face up as she was talking.

"I heard you and Wilson talking about it in the hallway. He's a very nice doctor, but he's wrong." House smiled gleefully. "You're wrong too, Dr. House," she added.

"All of us kids, the reason we are perceived as brave is most adults assume that if they were in our places, they'd go to pieces. It's like they expect us to roll over in bed and say 'that's it', cry, and wait for death. But that would be stupid, so no one does that. We maintain the attitude that we can beat the disease, sometimes because we aren't totally aware of how serious the disease it, but mostly because we want to get treated, cured and become normal kids. That's all we want and that's all I want. We want to be normal kids again. But, at the same time we are normal kids within the abnormal circumstances. We play when we can, laugh, go to school when we can, and sometimes we _are_ brats." At this, House smiled. "And sometimes, we are scared and angry. I ask 'why me?' all the time. Right now, I'm really scared. I'm really, really sick right now, I can't move that well, and there's nothing you can do to stop me from... getting worse. I'm kind of mad too, because if I had a normal immune system, this would be no big deal, right?" Eliza sighed, resigned.

"Yes, if you had a normal immune system, your body would stand a good chance of fighting this. It wouldn't be a guarantee you'd be able to use your legs, but you would probably get better and have at least partial use of them"

"If I got partial use would I get a cool cane like yours?" Eliza smiled.

"Maybe,"

"If only I could get a normal immune system, even if it was just for a little while. We couldn't do a transplant, but maybe something else..." she sighed, close to tears at the hopeless seeming situation. "Man, this sucks!" she exclaimed, then her eyes widened. "Don't tell my mom I said that. I'll get in big trouble." But House wasn't really listening. He had gotten up from the chair and left the room, sliding the door shut behind him.


	14. Bungee Jumping on Uranus

**Ch 14 Bungee Jumping on Uranus**

The ducklings were sitting around the table occupying themselves with the usual busywork. They seemed more unsettled than usual, though.

"It doesn't seem right," Cameron complained. "Our patient is dying, shouldn't we be doing something?"

"There's nothing we can do," Chase reminded her.

"Even House admitted to defeat!" Foreman pointed out.

"There has to be something!" Cameron exclaimed. Just then, House walked in.

"List off every drug that could give the immune system a temporary boost."

"Where have you been?" demanded Foreman.

"What are you trying to do?"Chase asked.

"I was bungee jumping on Uranus and I'm trying to juggle chainsaws- what do you _think_?" House responded. "Need some drug names here people."

"GCSF,"

"IVIG,"

"Higher dose, more intense anti-virals and anitbiotics."

"And if we throw in some ART she'll be golden," the ducklings stared quizzically at him, but House went right on. "How much does the girl weigh?"

"About 25 kilos," Foreman replied. "But if you give her too much too fast, it will damage her organs."

"How much, how fast?"

"It depends.. but what..." Foreman figured it out. "You're kidding, right? You can't treat polio with these drugs. There's no research to support this, it's a shot in the dark. You don't know what kind of interactions the drugs will have. What could you be thinking, how are you supposed to explain this?"

"I'm..." House searched for the right words. "I'm conducting a clinical trial of an experimental treatment for polio."

"Do you know how risky this is?" Cameron argued. "You're mixing all these drugs together without knowing anything about the way they work together to try and achieve an immune boosting effect you aren't sure will happen. And even if it happens, it might not throw off the polio, it could have all kinds of damaging effects..."

"And what have you really accomplished, anyway?" Foreman pointed out. "You've jepordized her life, and she will still have MDS or some other bone marrow failure system and the paralysis may be permanent."

"I'll make sure they both understand the risks involved. Find out the max dosage and give it to her."

"You're going to get consent right?" Chase asked nervously

"Of course," House intoned "We have a responsibility to properly inform our patient of the risks associated with their treatment."

House headed down the hall with a consent form in his hand while the ducklings stared after him with disbelief.


	15. An awful shock

**Ch 15 An Awful Shock**

As House arrived at Eliza's room, he saw her taking her usual doses of immuno-suppressants. Quickly, House ran into the room and knocked his the pills over with his cane. The cup spilled out onto the table. House pushed a few of the pills off to the side, put the rest back and handed back the rest. Eliza was a bit puzzled, but she took the pills without comment while her mother watched in horror

"What are you doing?" she asked, outraged

"I'm temporarily taking her off all the immuno-suppressive drugs."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm going to attempt to to cure your daughters polio with immune system boosting drugs. It's her only option."

"Can we discuss this outside, doctor?" Mary interrupted, with a nervous glance at Eliza.

"Of course," said House.

Out in the hallway, Mary sat on a bench and lowered her voice. "I don't want issues of survival and dying talked about in front of my daughter."

"Wait, you haven't told her yet?" House exclaimed, surprised. "Then she's in for an awful shock in a few hours."

"No, she.. she knows... what's going on," Mary struggled with the words. "But I don't want to discuss these things in front of her too much, nor do I want to discuss 'treatment' options. I thought you said there was no treatment."

"Well, we've done some research and we think giving her immune system boosting drugs is a possibility. We'll give her very high doses of GCSF, IVIG, and ART, we'll also administer antibiotics and antivirals. This should make her immune system strong enough to fight the polio. It can make her better."

"Yeah, it could make her better, what are the chances of that? It might make her worse or not help. And what if it does? She might still be paralyzed won't she?"

"Possibly, but I repeat, she doesn't have any other options. It's slow death by suffocation or this treatment."

Mary had been thinking and staring at House trying to figure him out. "This treatment which you are pressing on me with no promises of success! I don't want to get my daughter's hopes up falsely- or mine. I don't want to hurt her more than she already has been. I don't think this will work, and how much better off will we be if it does?"

"Your daughter will be alive. You can't just sit and let her die. You have to try this, you have to try and save her life." House looked at her intently, willing her to give in.

"Why? Why should I?"

"I need your consent to give her the treatment. And at least it's a treatment plan."

Mary looked up at House "I... don't know."

"Do it for Eliza."

As if she was in a dream, or rather a nightmare, Mary signed the consent form, then put her head in her hands. She looked utterly defeated. House merely took the form and left.

"I'll start the treatment right away."


	16. Quality of Life

**Ch 16 Quality of Life**

The ducklings met him at the door.

"How much can we give her?" he inquired of them.

"It depends how much we want to risk her organs and immune system."

"Give her fluids to flush out her system and give her the max dosage for her weight."

"Max her out?" questioned Foreman. "Are you crazy?" House gave him a look that said 'Don't you already know the answer to that?'

Foreman rolled his eyes and continued, "This isn't even a real treatment plan! You're shooting in the dark! Why? She's probably going to die anyway! And now, you're telling us to destroy her body just so you can try to cure her."

"We have a responsibility to our patient. She's young, her kidneys will bounce back. This treatment is her only hope." House insisted.

"Oh, don't give me that," Foreman snapped. "We both know you don't believe any of that and you just want to keep her alive so you can figure out what's wrong with her bone marrow. You don't care about the patient or her quality of life. It's all about your stupid puzzle!"

Foreman stomped off, Cameron moved to follow him, but House interjected.

"Leave him. He'll be back in a few hours in a much better mood with a new Porsche." This comment rubbed Cameron the wrong way and she turned to face House, hands on her hips, shooting daggers with her eyes.

"You know, he's right," Cameron said in a voice so stern, House's face registered authentic surprise. "You're jepordizing the patient's quality of life."

"Oh come on!" House exclaimed, his voice rising. " 'Quality of life'? No one has a 'quality life' and she isn't going to have any kind of life if we don't do this treatment."

"And if it works, which is a million to one shot, she may be paralyzed and will still have a life threatening bone marrow disease. And because you are so bent on figuring out the puzzle, her immune system, and organs will be shot to heck too!"

"You don't know that," House responded. "She's young, she'll bounce back, she might not be disabled at all and no matter whats wrong with her bone marrow, it can be fixed."

"Yeah, they can fix it by dumping toxic chemicals in her system that will leave her medically challenged for life." Cameron shouted, breathing heavily.

"So this discussion is pointless because she was never going to have a quality life. And every minute we waste, she's dying. So, I'm sorry, but I've used up all the time I've allotted for banging my head against the wall, which means this discussion is over. She is getting this treatment." House limped off down the hallway with a tone of finality. Cameron turned and walked off in the other direction. Chase, who had been standing between them silently for the entire argument, looked back and forth at the two retreating backs, obviously torn.

"Chase," House called out. "You better be either following me or working on your resume." Chase sighed, took a last look at Cameron, then followed House down the hall.


	17. Mind Racing

**A/N: This chapter starts out sort of "eavesdropping" on House's thoughts. The whole argument is going on inside his head, with different parts of his mind taking sides. Just thought I'd clarify that. Thanks for all the great comments!**

**Ch 17 Mind Racing**

House stormed down the hall, his mind racing.

'Cameron's right, you have no right to risk her life like this.'

'I have to cure her, it's my job.'

'But she might end up paralyzed, she'll probably be stuck in a hospital for the rest of her life.'

'But she'll be alive.'

'But she wants to be a normal kid.'

'She still might-'

'No she won't and you know it.'

'I'm sure she'd rather be alive.'

' Would you?'

'Of course..., well, probably. yeah... maybe not... I almost live here anyway.'

'Do you want her to end up like you?'

'Since when do I care about the patient?'

'Oh, come on, you care about this one. She's the sharpest tack in the box, strong will, she'll be somebody someday. You care, You talked to her, now it's personal.'

'It doesn't matter. I have to do this.'

'No, you don't have to do anything'

'Yes, I do. I'm her doctor and her mom signed the consent form.'

'Because you bullied her into it.'

'Exactly, so I can't back out now or she'll lose what little faith she has left in doctors.'

'You do that to most people anyway.'

'Yeah, but she'll leave and no one else can save her.'

'Maybe she'll be better off.'

'Doubt it. And I certainly won't be.'

'Well that's the selfish attitude that lost Stacy for you.'

'Why bring that up again? Anyway I am going to do this, you know I will.'

'You shouldn't.'

'I should and I will. Besides, what would Cameron and Foreman say if I back down?'

'This isn't about them.'

'Yes it is. I'm the boss and I have to lay down the law.'

'They can be right you know. Just because you're the boss...'

House's thoughts were interrupted by Wilson.

"Penny for your thoughts, House," Wilson joked. "Though with the way you were incoherently muttering , they may be worth more. A quarter? A buck?"

House barely heard him. He had, by force of habit, wandered back to his own office while he had been waging war inside his mind. He looked around. Chase was following him like the a beaten puppy. Neglected, but forced by nature and habit to follow his master.

"House, House are you with me?" Wilson once again brought him back to earth. "How are Eliza and Mary? Where're Cameron and Foreman?"

"Who?" House asked, blinking as he regained composure. "Oh, the patient is dying and Foreman and Cameron had hissy fits because I figured out a treatment that will save her life."

"Wait, what? how? I thought there was no treatment for polio. Where are Cameron and Foreman now?"

"Foreman always goes to the lab when he's mad. Cameron is..." something clicked in House's mind and he went racing down the hallway, leaving Chase and Wilson in his dust, despite the cane.

"Where are you going? How are you going to treat Eliza?"

"We'll max her out on immune-system boosting drugs: IVIG, GCSF, ART, and heavy-duty anti-virals. That way, she'll temporarily have a strong enough immune system to throw off the polio."

"Maybe. It's a long shot and if you max her out, you risk organ damage."

"Well, given the choice between dying and living with damaged organs, a failed bone marrow and possible paralysis, which would you choose?" House posed the question sarcastically, and yet philosophically, as only he could.

Wilson thought it over. "Depends. It's human nature to want to live, but I'm a doctor, so I know about what all those medical problems entail. She's in for one heck of a life."

"You don't know that. She still could pull through unscathed. And she isn't a doctor, as impressive as she is, so she doesn't know what you know. Neither does the mom."

"Well then you haven't properly informed them of the risks."

"Those aren't risks associated with this treatment, really," House evaded.

"Actually, yes they are, and they directly relate to her quality of life," Wilson challenged.

"But, the risks of not doing the treatment is she is going to die. Quickly. In a rather unpleasant manner. And what _is _this business about 'quality of life'? You're starting to sound like... DR. CAMERON!" House bellowed her name and limped as fast as he could down the rest of the hallway, then used his cane to slide the door to Eliza's room shut. Cameron and Foreman both looked at him, frozen like little kids caught with one hand in the cookie jar. Chase and Wilson hurried up behind House.

"So you thought you'd go behind my back and convince the patient to refuse treatment, did you?" House accused.

"The patient and her mother need to be properly informed," Cameron replied in a low voice.

"Her mother has been informed and gave her consent!" House insisted.

"You didn't give her the whole story," Foreman protested.

"The whole story would be impossible to explain," House claimed.

"No it wouldn't be," Foreman declared. "But giving her the whole picture and all the symptoms and risks might make her turn down your lovely offer. Then the patient might die and you can't stand that."

"House, just because you consider death a fate worse than... anything, not everyone else does! Sometimes you just have to let it go!" Cameron snapped.

"But I don't have to let it go," House insisted. "I can make her better."

Foreman sighed. "But she won't necessarily be better off for all the effort!"

The battle of wills was interrupted by Mary sliding open the glass door.


	18. I spot fake sleepers

**Ch 18 I spot fake sleepers**

"Do you mind? My daughter is trying to sleep and you are having a very loud argument in the hall outside her door!" Mary exclaimed. The doctors looked nervously around at one another before Wilson found his tongue and stepped in.

"I'm so very sorry ma'am, we had no intention of disturbing your daughter, she of course needs her rest. We..." Wilson quickly glanced around at the group, "We were just discussing a patient, but we should be in an office. I'm very sorry to bother you, but we'll be going now..."

"Wait a second..." House interjected, giving Cameron and Foreman a look. "We wanted to talk to you a little more about the risks and benefits of your daughter's treatment. That's what we were... uh... 'discussing' out here."

"I _know_ that's what you were discussing," Mary asserted. "People in Mongolia know that's what you were discussing. And what I also know is the treatment you told me would save my daughter is now being debated as though it is a bad idea. What's the deal? Do you know what you're doing at all?" House thought over his response carefully.

He was about to explain when Cameron beat him to it.

"This treatment hasn't gone through clinical trials yet so we're not sure of the side effects." Foreman gave her a look that said, 'Why are you protecting House?', and added,

"This treatment has never been tried before. House brought the plan to us just today. We don't know anything about it." Mary was obviously shocked, but managed to maintain her composure. "Can we talk about this inside?" she asked weaklyWilson jumped into the role of comforting mediator.

"Of course we can. I'm sorry we had to spring this on you but Dr Cameron and Dr Foreman felt that it was vital that you had all the facts and that Dr House..."

"Hadn't told you anything about the risks associated with the treatment or addressed your daughter's quality of life if the treatment does in fact work," Cameron said in a rush as they stepped inside the room.

"And since I'm so bent on having beautifully open lines of patient-doctor communication and developing the best bedside manner in New Jersey, I'm here to correct my earlier mistakes," House added, trying to sound sincere. Just then, he heard a small sound like a suppressed giggle which interrupts his flow. No one else appears to have heard it, but House immediately zeros in on Eliza. "Wake up sleepy head," he almost whispered in a low, mocking tone.

"How do you always know?" she questioned,snapping to attention like nothing was out of the ordinary. "I'm not hooked up to brain wave monitors and I was careful about my breathing."

"It's a gift," House shrugged. "It's like a sixth sense. I don't see dead people, I spot fake sleepers. I'm pretty good with fake criers too, so don't even try to slip that one by me." House answered, giving the other adults in the room, who were all staring at the two of them, mouths agape, a look. "Well, getting back to the issue at hand, righting wrongs and what not, here's the truth: this treatment has never even been conceived of, much less thought through completely, researched or tried. These drugs are not used in common very often, so we don't know about their interactions or the side effects they will cause. But, and I must emphasize this this point, it is her absolute, last ditch 4th down, 80 yards to go, in the snow, last play, Hail Mary, only hope for survival. Without this treatment, she'll be dead in a matter of hours, so researching this further is not really an option."

"Well, you're really streaking towards a landslide victory in the subtlety All-Star nominations." Eliza said, smiling weakly and trying to recover from being told so bluntly she was going to die. A scared, cold-sweaty feeling was creeping over her body, and she fought to hold back tears.

"Thank you," said House, smiling weakly, but at the same time realizing that he had maybe overdone it a little. "But you didn't let me get to the good part. If this works, and it should since it is grounded in excellent medical logic," (At this he looked right at Eliza. She met his eyes and gave him a small nod of understanding) "she'll be cured of the polio and free to go on living her life." As soon as House finished his sentence, Cameron opened her mouth to argue, but House continued, cutting her off. "But of course, there is the issue of 'quality of life' that Dr Cameron keeps bringing up. Obviously, this treatment will not fix her bone marrow, which is still afflicted with a disease to be named later, since we have no idea what it is. There is also a possibility the paralysis she has suffered will remain. Try to move your arms and legs," he directed Eliza. She tried, but didn't get very far. "Now your fingers and toes." These she really couldn't move at all. "It's also possible that the paralysis will clear up or she could regain partial use of her limbs with therapy and movement assistance devices. So we don't know if she'll be able to walk again and we never will if we don't try this treatment."

The room was silent for a minute.

"How... Why... You weren't really asleep?" House chuckled inwardly at Mary's question and her obvious confusion.

"No, I wasn't," admitted Eliza.

"How often have you not been asleep?" Mary asked, remembering all the conversations she had had around the 'sleeping' Eliza.

"Kind of a lot," Eliza confessed.. Usually, she would have found this sort of thing funny, but she was preoccupied by the things House had said earlier. "But never at home, only in the hospital. Usually I do it when I'm trying to avoid seeing a doctor, or I want to overhear a conversation you would normally leave the room for. I can remember when a doctor said they'd come, or when they came before." Mary was surprised, but was recovering.

"But why would you do this?"

"Because, like I said before, you never involve me in discussions, you leave the room to talk to doctors, use all these hushed tones. I'm never involved in getting information or making decisions about what's happening to my body. Shouldn't I get a say? Why don't I get to sign consent forms, hear treatment risks, talk about drug doses? I need the information. Otherwise, anything could be happening and I wouldn't know. The not knowing, and imagining and guessing is worse than actually knowing, trust me." Crying slightly and obviously tired, she lay back and closed her eyes.


	19. Such a trooper

**Ch 19 Such a trooper**

House was staring at the floor blankly, deep in thought. The other doctors and Mary gathered around Eliza's bed.

"She's such a trooper," whispered Mary, brushing Eliza's hair from her pale face. The other doctors agreed. "She's as smart as they come, sometimes too smart for her own good," Mary added, smiling, "and she is so mature. But is she really old enough to hear about what's happening to her and make decisions?" This question was aimed at the doctors. They all looked at Wilson, unsure how to answer it.

"Legally, she can't sign anything or make decisions about her treatment. You have to do that. But as far as how involved she is in the process, thats up to you. It's hard to gage, but you know her better than we do. In this case, she may very well be right that imagining and guessing are worse than actually knowing." Wilson explained with the tired, saddened voice of one who had stood at bedsides like this one far too often.

"In the end, you have to make a decision. She can be involved, but you are short on time if the treatment is going to work," Mary nodded.

"I think I've made up my mind, but I want to talk to Eliza first."


	20. A Normal Kid

**Ch 20 A Normal Kid **

While this discussion had been happening, Eliza had been hovering between waking and sleeping.

So this is it, she thought, Dr House had spelled it out: she was going to die. She had suspected as much, but before House had said it so plainly, she could at least pretend to herself that it was just her overactive imagination. But it was like she told her mom: she preferred knowing. Now that she knew, she could deal with it, it wasn't a surprise, she could talk about it, and she could find out if there was anything she, or they, could do to prevent it.

And House had figured out a way to save her. He had created a treatment based on her "medical logic". But what was it? She wasn't sure from what the doctors had talked about. What she did know was House had completely made it up, so they didn't know about the risks or if it would work. She might still be paralyzed too. And, of course, there would be that ever-present bone marrow failure syndrome. But, now it might not be MDS. From what she knew, that was a good thing. But why was House fighting so hard? Why didn't he just give up like the other doctors had when they found out there was no treatment for polio? He didn't seem to be thinking about the risks or her limbs or anything else. He seemed obsessed with keeping her alive with this treatment. Why? Was he that afraid of death? Of failing by not curing her? Was she just a guinea pig to test theories on, or did he care so deeply that he couldn't bear to see her die? Was he just so interested in her bone marrow that he would keep her alive at any cost to find out what was wrong with it?

Then again, did his motives matter? He was giving her a way out, a chance to live! But - since there was always a but - she might not recover completely, and what kind of life would she be going back to? Doctors, tests, transfusions, needles. But, if she left now, she would miss so much: graduating elementary school, not to mention driving, prom, middle school, high school. She felt the tears start to come, but held them back. She hated crying in front of people, especially the doctors, who always told her she was so brave. She didn't want to disappoint them.

Why me? She asked for the hundredth time. Of course, she knew all the it's-not-your-fault and it-could-be-worse answers, and she knew they were true, but that didn't mean she liked them. And in the back of her mind she knew the world was not fair and everyone got a slice of the unfairness, but she still hated it. Still wished someone could wave a magic wand and make her better. Still wished the unfairness in her life was limited to the class bully cutting in the lunch line and taking the last pudding cup.

Still wished..

"Eliza... Eliza?" her mom lightly shook her shoulder to wake her. "Okay, sweetie, I'm sorry to wake you up but we have a decision to make. Do you want to try Dr House's treatment?"

"I still don't know what it involves exactly."

"We will give you very high doses of GCSF, IVIG, ART, along with very strong antivirals. That will boost your immune system close to that of a normal person's long enough to fight off the polio. It isn't a guarantee, but it very well may work." House had joined them once again.

"If it doesn't work I was gonna die anyway."

"True, but some people wouldn't want to get their hopes up falsely or make their end more difficult or uncomfortable." House and Eliza were having this conversation in their own little world, ignoring everything else around them.

"How likely is it that the paralysis will be permanent and severe?"

"About 50 of patients recover with no paralysis, 25 with a mild disability, and 25 with a permanent severe disability. You're going to need therapy to regain as much motion as possible."

"What about... being a normal kid... will I?" Eliza almost whispered this, and she felt kind of silly asking, but she had to know.

"I doubt it," House said simply Eliza's face fell. Being a normal kid was her ultimate goal, the dream she clung to when she was sure she'd be sick forever, it was what she wished for every time she got the chance, and he had pulled the rug out from under her. But House continued, "Why would you want that? Kids like that are stupid, kids like that lead boring, average lives. Who would want that?"

And even though Eliza knew he was right, and was glad for the things that made her unique- her memory, intelligence, and even the bone marrow failure- she couldn't help but mourn the loss of her dream. She teared up and started to cry.

Her mom bent over the bed, hugged her and whispered in her ear, "I love you just the way you are." She then straightened up and said, "We can talk more later, sweetie but right now I need to know. Do you want to try Dr. House's treatment?"

"Yes," responded Eliza, her tears stopping.

"Okay, that's what I want too," agreed Mary relaxing a bit and turning to the doctors "Let's do it."

"Okay, we'll order the meds and get her star-" Cameron began.

"No need," House cut her off, sliding open the door with his cane to reveal a nurse standing there with an arm full of IV bags, ready to go. "Am I good or what?" he asked, signaling to the nurse to hook Eliza up. Then, he turned to Eliza, gave her a genuine smile and a wink, and headed out the door and limped down the hall.


	21. Why?

**Ch 21 Why?**

As House arrived back a the office he looked at the clock and realized with a shock that it had only been an hour since he had met an angry Cameron and Foreman at his door. Thinking that it was good that they hadn't wasted too much time, he settled down to play his PSP.

A little later the ducklings came into the conference room. House didn't acknowledge them or give any directions, so they resumed their usual paperwork.

A bit after that, Wilson breezed into House's office and sat down across from him. "Eliza has started receiving the medication and so far there are no ill effects."

"Good,"

Wilson sighed and leaned back in his chair. House put down his video game and looked up at his friend.

"Well, don't you have something to say?"

"What would I have to say?"

"You-were-right-House-they-aren't-all-brave-little-soldiers," House prompted.

"Why would I say that?" wondered Wilson, though he knew where House was going.

"Because she cried, she wanted to be a normal kid, she listened in on her mother's conversations, she isn't brave and saintly like all the rest!"

"That she cried doesn't mean she isn't brave," Wilson replied. "Do you know how many kids I've seen cry? That just means you scared her to tears. Courage isn't the absence of fear, its the decision that something else is more important."

"You read that in a book," House retorted, though he sensed something different in Wilson's attitude.

"So? What does that have to do with anything? It's still true. Being brave doesn't mean bottling up all your feelings and not feeling them or showing them. But so many people treat these kids like that is bravery. People think they'd go to pieces if they were sick, and so they think because these kids get up every day and try to go on as normally as possible that they must be stronger somehow. Doctors do it to. We praise the kids who don't scream and wriggle when we're hurting them, so they think they can't ever cry, or we'll like them less. It's all just forced on them." Wilson sighed again. House was puzzled. It wasn't like Wilson to give up an ideal he had defended so adamantly. And he even had a good argument against himself. It took a long moment of silence before House figured out what had happened.

"You talked to her. The girl – Eliza - she told you all this."

Wilson looked up. "Yeah, I did. I went in to talk to her mom about rescheduling the consult and some insurance papers and she wasn't there. Eliza said she wanted to talk to me. She told me about her experiences with bravery. She told me to remember it... so I could help other kids." He heaved another sigh, and then became angry. "Why does this have to happen? Why? These are always the nicest people, the best kids, all of them. What did they do to deserve this?"

"No ever does anything to deserve pain or illness," House said gravely, not meeting Wilson's gaze. "It's random chance and the world is not a just place, you know that. Come on, all this 'why them' stuff is making you sound like the fake-brave kids who are scared but still saints." Wilson glared at him with such intensity that House was surprised. "But no matter how many layers of mixed perception and your encouragement, they still get up every morning. They don't roll over and say 'I've had enough' and go watch TV like Chase would." House said, jerking his head towards the conference room. Wilson looked at him incredulous. Rather than mock him as he expected, House had completed the role reversal. Slowly a smirk appeared on Wilson's face.

"She go to you," he said gleefully. "You talked to her and she got to you."

"Yes, I have seen the light," Houser replied sarcastically. "I've jumped on the band wagon and learned a valuable lesson about being right and wrong and the gray area in between. I am so glad for this opportunity to reaffirm my faith in people and their bravery. I thank heavens for that angelic little girl and pray that her ageless wisdom is not stolen from the Earth before its time. I..."

"Okay, thats enough," Wilson cut him off sternly, marveling at how limited his ability to be sensitive was.

"I've got to go review her chart and decide what to advise her mother to do in the consult. We still have the mystery of her bone marrow to grapple with."

"Can I sit in?" asked House suddenly looking alert and intrigued.

"I've got to ask her permission, but I suppose you could," Wilson allowed. Seeing the look of glee on House's face, he quickly added "But NO funny business!" House, taking on the persona of obedient child, raised his right hand and promised, "Scout's honor, sir." Wilson sighed, shook his head and headed out the door.


	22. I will try to fix you

**A/N: As I originally wrote the story, this was a montage. But, in the interest of not breaking any rules or laws, you're going to have to just pick a song you think fits well with the scenes described.**

**Ch 22 I will try to fix you**

After Wilson leaves, House returns to his video game. As the song (you pick) plays, we see the following things:

Eliza lying in bed getting meds, her mom

sitting by her side holding her hand.

Wilson doing paperwork in his office,  
writing with his head down and his brow  
Suddenly he raises his head and stares out the window.

House with the white board in front of  
him. Spinning slowly his chair, tossing his  
ball up and catching it. He stops at the white board, writes something on it, then resumes spinning.

The ducklings stand together outside Eliza's room, looking in on her. She and her mom are in the same positions as before.

Wilson tries to comfort a bald, crying child as  
he tries to do a spinal tap. The kid is  
wailing and Wilson looks flustered as he tries to calm and restrain the child.

House is sitting in his chair, chin on his  
cane staring into space. Slowly, he sits up and begins to spin his cane around his fingers, staring at the ceiling now

Eliza and her mom, same places but time has obviously passed. Eliza wakes up and slowly starts to move her arms and legs a tiny bit. She has regained some motion. she sits  
up a little and she and her mom embrace. Her  
mom has tears in her eyes.

Wilson looks out over the pediatric  
oncology unit There are parents and children getting treatment looking  
varying degrees of sick and worried. Wilson is lost in thought, but he is wearing an expression showing a  
weariness from having seen too much in  
his lifetime.

House limps down a quiet, dark hospital  
hallway. He stops at the only lighted door: Eliza's room. He quietly observes, letting the tiniest hint of a smile play on his lips as Eliza's hand slowly but surely reaches for the TV remote and turns it on. As the closing bars of the music play, House limps off down the hall. Eliza watches his back with a small smile as the scene fades to black.


	23. The Consult

**A/N: Hi everyone, sorry I kind of abandoned this for a while. I promise to update regularly. This fic will have 34 chapters, just so you know when to expect the end. Thanks for all the great reviews! **

**Ch 23 The Consult **

A few days later, Dr. Wilson is sitting in at his desk, looking over his research and notes, preparing for the upcoming consult. He hears a knock at his door. Startled, he looks up and almost falls out of his chair. He looks at his watch, then at the door, disbelieving. Because there, on the other side of the door, stood House. That was fairly unremarkable but what wasn't was that chronically late, irresponsible House was a full 20 minutes early for the consult!

In his astonishment, Wilson forgot to let House in, so House pushed open the door and walked inside.

"What's with you?" he asked.

"You're... you're early!" stammered Wilson stupidly.

"Am I?" responded House, only mildly interested. "Well, you know, got to make a good impression and be prepared so the patient has full confidence in our ability to give sound medical advice." House delivered this speech with such a straight face that it almost killed Wilson.

Changing the subject, Wilson asked, "Are you prepared? Do you have notes, a plan for what you're going to say?"

"It's all up here," House assured him, tapping his forehead. "What's your plan?"

"I'm going to advise transplant with an MDS protocol."

"Why? The chromosome sample changed..."

"House, I know about the chromosome. But she was diagnosed MDS and she should be transplanted as such."

"Only if you believe in conforming to the rules of a few overly-conservative oncologists. At any hospital other than Boston, she wouldn't be tested for chromosomal abnormalities. She would have been diagnosed with Aplastic anemia and would probably be fine now." Wilson began to open his mouth to protest, but House cut him off. "I know, patients with the abnormality who are treated with Aplastic anemia protocols have a very high incidence of relapse. But she doesn't have a complete p7 deletion at all! It's just a tiny piece. And even so, it's in less than 30 of her cells!"

"How do you know it's less than 30? It could be more. They could have taken a sample that had the only healthy cells she has. Besides, it's useless to quibble about size and number, its a deletion, it's there, it's MDS. If she's transplanted for Aplastic anemia she will probably relapse. That would doom her to another transplant with TBI or a more mismatched donor best case scenario, and a hard to cure, maybe deadly form of leukemia worst case scenario!"

"Or, since she doesn't have a complete abnormality at the right level-because the random sampling is an inconsistent data pool- she will be treated as an Aplastic and go on to have a happy, healthy, normal life."

"That's a stupidly long shot and you know it is."

Suddenly, both doctors looked up. They were startled to realize Mary was standing outside Wilson's door, knocking on the window. Although the two of them fighting, or fighting over a patient was not uncommon, only House's team, Cuddy, and other doctors had heard them do it, never the patient's mother. Both doctors look at each other. Wilson is sheepish, and House doesn't want to get yelled at.

"Come in," Wilson called out.

"Hi, sorry," apologized Mary. "I should have knocked earlier, but I knew I was early and I didn't want to interrupt."

"I.. er.. uh.. How long were you outside?" Wilson finally got the courage to ask.

"Long enough," replied Mary.

"So you heard...?"

"Everything,"

"Good. Then we won't have to waste time explaining our conflicting points of view on your daughter's treatment. Speaking of which, where is Wonder Girl?" House inquired Mary frowned slightly at this nickname for her daughter, then explained, "Back in her room. She wanted to come but she also decided she should start PT early, so she can get out of here faster."

House and Wilson both chuckle a little at this.

"So let's cut to the chase," Wilson announced, bringing them back to business. "I believe, in addition to everything I said before, that your daughter's best chance for a long term cure is a bone marrow transplant with an MDS protocol." The look on Mary's face said that she disagreed with Wilson's every word. However, she didn't object out loud.

Instead, she asked, "Who would you suggest as a donor and what about long-term complications?"

Wilson took a deep breath and said, "Well, I would use the uncle who is a 5 out of 6 HLA match. He is related to her, which makes him a better match. As for long-term complications, all of those can be taken care of. She can be given growth hormones for growing problems, surgery can be done on cataracts, you can work with her school to manage learning disabilities, and any other problems can be taken care of by her doctors." House had been very quiet until now but all of a sudden he spoke up gravely.


	24. Both sides of the issue

**A/N: I'm glad everyone liked the cliffhanger :P. Most people were right about the song they picked for the montage, at least that was the one I had in mind. Thanks so much for all the nice reviews!**

**Ch 24 Both sides of the issue**

"Yeah everything will be taken care of until she wants to have children." The look on Mary's face said she had been thinking just that.

Wilson tried to step in, "There are options for that to...", but House cut him off.

"Is it really fair to condemn such a brilliant child to a lifetime in the SPED department?"

Again, Wilson tried to mediate. "She's in the 98th percentile for reading and verbal skills, it won't be a profound disability."

"Yeah, but probably every teacher, doctor, parent and most kids she's come in contact with have told her how smart she is. Now she's going to have this treatment and you're going to rip that away from her, take away her defining quality?"

For the first time in all the time they had known each other, Wilson detected no sarcasm, no air of knowing something, nothing that wasn't genuine in House's voice. House was truly questioning what kind of consequences this treatment would bring. Wilson was partially in awe of the effect one patient could have in so hardened a doctor. However, he quickly realized that the question was directed at him, and snapped back to attention.

"It's not a question of fairness," he protested. "It's a choice between a few medical complications and almost certain death!"

" 'A few medical complications'!" exclaimed House. "She is going to have to be followed for years by dozens of doctors to fix what the radiation did to her. And, its not 'almost certain death' by a long shot! The Aplastic protocol has an excellent chance of working seeing as the chromosomes don't point conclusively to MDS anymore. Really, I don't think they did before."

"They did studies, House! Kids with genetic problems had an exponentially higher incidence of relapse. If she relapses it may turn into AML..."

"Which can be treated..." House cut him off.

"Not always successfully, especially if it advances quickly."

Wilson and House faced each other, looking as though the argument might come to blows. Mary cleared her throat. The doctors turned to her a bit startled. They had almost forgotten she was in the room.

"Yes, well," Mary stammered awkwardly. "I appreciate.. this wasn't what I expected when I agreed to a two-doctor consult. Shouting, fighting, taking sides." House and Wilson braced for her scolding. "I must admit it was very helpful." House and Wilson looked at each other, shocked, as she continued. "I was a bit reluctant to agree to the consult with both of you. Doctors are always a bit stupid about being ever so careful not to trod on their colleague's toes. They agree with everything the other says, and refuse to say another doctor is wrong, which doesn't give you the whole picture. Although it was a bit loud, you presented both sides of the issue in your own.. er.. blunt way." As House and Wilson tried to process this, House noticed that she had been taking notes in her thick binder while they had been talking. "So thank you for your time, gentlemen, but I really must be going." She stood up, shook hands with both of them and strode from the room.


	25. Six extra hours

**Ch 25 Six extra hours**

Soon after Mary left, House headed back to his office. The ducklings were all gathered in the conference room, occupying themselves as they always did.

"How's the patient?" House inquired as he limped into the room.

"She's stable," replied Cameron. "Her white cell count is up but it's too soon to tell if the treatment is working yet."

"The drugs will work," House declared. "They have to."

Suddenly, Wilson, Mary and Cuddy flew into the conference room.

"Why is my daughter getting anti-AIDS drugs?" Mary demanded.

"House you better have a d--- good reason to be giving antiretrovirals as part of an invented treatment plan I wasn't informed of!" Cuddy was extremely mad.

"House, you didn't properly inform the patient about the drugs she would be treated with!" accused Wilson. House took a deep breath and faced his accusers, addressing his replies to each one in turn. "Your daughter is getting anti-retrovirals, which do more than just combat AIDS, to help cure her polio," he informed Mary very calmly. "Sorry boss. Didn't think I needed to tell you about treating a patient," he told Cuddy with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I did tell the patient and his mother she would be receiving 'ART'. In all the confusion, no one asked me what that was. I didn't explain it because I thought you knew what it was," he told Wilson with an honest-sounding innocence. But something in his voice told Wilson he had planned it this way. Mary and Wilson both looked like they had more to say, But Cuddy beat them to it.

"Anytime you try anything that is in the slightest bit experimental, I need to know House,"Cuddy exclaimed, her voice rising. "If things like this go on behind my back, you, I and this hospital will be in serious trouble." Wilson was still peeved,

"House, I'd love to hear the _medical rationale _behind using ART as a treatment for polio!"

"In some small studies, ART was shown to increase white cell counts, especially in health workers who were given it prophylactically after AIDS scares. Higher white cell counts give her a better chance of fighting off the polio," House explained.

The ducklings were carefully staying out of it, quietly hidden at the table, pretending not to pay attention. Wilson and Mary seemed reasonably satisfied with House's explanation and excused themselves. Cuddy, however, stayed back.

"For this little incident, House, you owe me six extra hours of clinic duty. Kindly inform me of all future 'clinical trials' you plan to conduct." Cuddy said, a fake-sweet smile plastered on her face so that it looked a little evil. "Have a nice day," she said to House and the ducklings as she swept from the room.


	26. This was real

**Ch 26 This was real**

After Cuddy had gone, House headed into his office for some quality time with his PSP. The ducklings continued to monitor Eliza, making sure she got the right medication at the right time, and checking her lab results constantly. So far, the treatment had stopped the progression of the polio. Her fever was lower, and the stiffness had lessened. She was not yet out of the woods, but continued to give her doctors, her mother, and herself reason for hope.

At one point, Cameron headed for her room to tend to the patient. But, just outside the door, she stopped, shell-shocked. Dr. Gregory House was in Eliza's room, flushing her IV and checking her blood samples! Cameron was amazed. What's more, doctor and patient seemed to be having an intense discussion. To make sure she wasn't dreaming, Cameron pinched herself. It hurt, so this was real. House, in a patient's room, making human contact and caring for them? It was almost too hard for her to believe. Why this patient? Why now? And what were they talking about? Cameron turned and headed back to the conference room, fairly certain she would never find the answers to her questions.


	27. Believe it

**A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback, guys. Please keep it coming! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.**

**Ch 27 Believe it**

Chase and Foreman looked up as Cameron entered the room.

"Why are you back so soon?" demanded Foreman. "You're supposed to be checking on the patient."

"I know, I went to check on her, but someone beat me to it."

"Who? A nurse? You know House wants us to do everything for her. He doesn't trust nurses," Chase said.

"No. It wasn't a nurse. It was House."

Chase and Foreman's jaws almost dropped to the floor.

"You're kidding, right?" questioned Foreman

"No, I'm dead serious. He was talking to her, too. They were both sort of laughing, so it wasn't all that serious, but I don't know."

"I don't believe it," declared Chase.

"Believe it," ordered House, walking into the room. All the ducklings shared a nervous glance, wondering if he knew they had been talking about him. "The Red Sox need better starting pitching. The relievers would have an easier job if the starters would go deeper."

Their nervousness forgotten, the ducklings shared a questioning glance and tried to change the subject. They figured House was baiting them into an argument with this random outburst.

"How's the patient?" Cameron grilled House. He was still muttering about the Red Sox, and looked up, startled. He had been found out. He knew Cameron knew he had been taking care of Eliza. But House knew how to play the hand he was dealt skillfully, an ability "tax accountant" did not have.

"According to her, fine."

"You talked to a patient?" questioned Foreman.

"Treating patients _is_ why we became doctors, isn't it?"House asked back. Once again, he had bluffed his way out of a jam. Realizing it was pointless to continue the conversation, Foreman changed tracks.

"How are her stats? fever? immobility?"

"All her stats are normal, fever's way down but not gone, pain, stiffness and immobility are all subsiding. Her white count is up and her physical therapy is going well."

"Wait, she already started PT?" Chase said.

"Patient's request. She must really hate you guys," House snarked with a wink and a smirk. "She wants to get out of here. She isn't walking yet, just stretching."

"So she's doing well," Cameron said.

"Yup," said House. "So far. We won't know if she's sustained organ damage or will have a disability until later. But so far, so good."


	28. Hospital bred abilities

**Ch 28 Hospital-bred abilities**

Slowly, but steadily and surely, Eliza continued to get better. At the end of that week, she took her first tentative steps across her room, supported by her mom and physical therapist. At one point, Eliza looked up and saw her mom silently crying. She reached up and hugged her. The walking progress continued.

A few days after that, all her tests came back normal. More tears, this time from both of them. "We'll wean you off the medication slowly, just in case," Foreman told them. "But if all goes well, you'll be out of here by the beginning of next week."

"That's great," said Eliza. "But I'm going to miss the food here. Have you had the Reuben from the cafeteria? It's the best! Uh... someone recommended it," she added, seeing her mother's puzzled look.

"Wait, you like hospital food?" exclaimed Foreman.

"Well, not all hospital food," admitted Eliza. "The trick is you just have to find the thing the hospital makes well. The hospital in Boston has great chicken fingers, my clinic has a great turkey sandwich, and another hospital I've been to has amazing oatmeal cookies and vanilla pudding."

"So you're a hospital food coniseur," stated Foreman with a now-I've-seen-everything voice.

"Pretty much," said Eliza smiling. "It's really by necessity. I'm in the hospital so much, and while I'm stuck there, I might as well enjoy the food, right?"

"Makes perfect sense to me," agreed Foreman with a chuckle. "I've got to go, but we'll be tapering your medications and continuing to monitor your counts and vitals."

"Thank you so much for everything," Mary told him.

"You're welcome," responded Foreman.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Returning to the conference room. Foreman told Chase and Cameron about Eliza's enjoyment of hospital food.

"That's nothing," replied Chase. "I went in there the other day and told her what kind of blood tests I needed to do, and she told me what color test tubes I would need!"

"Don't we draw the same blood every time?" Foreman asked.

Chase shook his head, "No. I was doing kidney and liver functions and she even knew what those were."

"There must have been a lot of blood to draw," said Cameron.

"She didn't seem phased by it," explained Chase. "She told me that at NIH, they took 13 tubes from her."

"Thirteen! She is something, isn't she?" Cameron said. Chase and Foreman agreed.

"I hope she pulls through this," muttered Chase. The other two nodded. They all sat thinking a while about their patient, and what Chase said. Because it wasn't just the polio he was referring to. They were all thinking, hoping, wondering if she was going to survive to grow out of her hospital-bred abilities.


	29. Discharge

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! Just a reminder, there are a few more chapters after this one.**

**Ch 29 Discharge**

At least on the polio front, Eliza did seem to be pulling through. As the medicine was tapered off, the only complication she suffered was a falling white cell count. Throughout the rest of the week, the ducklings continued to see House in Eliza's room, attending to her or sometimes just talking. They were dumbfounded. They knew it was too much to hope that one patient would make House change his ways. Indeed, outside Eliza's room, House was the same blunt, sarcastic, devil-may-care boss they had always known. What then, they wondered, was so special about her? Fortunately, they were used to unexplained mysteries from House and didn't worry about it too much.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the next Tuesday, Eliza was ready to be discharged. It had been more than 3 weeks since she had arrived at PPTH, and they had been quite a roller coaster. But she had survived. What lay ahead, no one knew for sure, least of all Eliza. But she knew that this experience would be one she remembered for a long time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes before Eliza was going to leave, Wilson headed for House's office. He was planning on trying to convince House to come and bid farewell to their patient. He had a feeling House would reject the idea, but asking him to come was part of his role as House's friend, and it made him feel better. When Wilson reached House's door, he found the office empty. Figuring he was hiding out somewhere playing his PSP, Wilson went down to the lobby. To his surprise, House was already there, standing off to the side, popping a Vicodin. Wilson was thrown by this behavior, but tried not to show it, and joined the group gathered around the elevator. Cameron, Foreman, Chase, Cuddy, and Wolfe were there, and Eliza's physical therapist had turned out for the occasion as well. A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Mary carefully pushed Eliza in a wheelchair out of the elevator. Once they were out of the elevator, Eliza stood up.

"Careful, honey," warned Mary.

"Mom, I can do this," insisted Eliza. She carefully walked down the row of doctors, hugging each one and thanking them. She had made each one of them a clip with beads to attach their hospital ID tags to their clothes. Chase, Foreman, and Cameron presented her with a book called _Brain Surgery for Beginners_.

"So you'll be ready when you get a job here next summer," Chase joked.

"Wow, cool," was all Eliza could say. Dr. Wolfe presented her with a stuffed doll shaped like a red blood cell.

"Let me know when you finish that thesis on your diagnosis," he reminded her with a wink. After hugging Wilson and Cuddy, she looked expectantly over at House, who, looking rather put out at having to come to her, ambled over and produced a knit Red Sox hat which he carefully placed on her head, saying,

"So that on those cold New England winter days you can remember that the Red Sox need starting pitchers in the lineup." Eliza laughed, hugged him, and rebutted, "Mark my words, they will acquire new relievers for next season. You'll be eating your words, Dr House," she smiled. "Thank you for saving my life" she added in a whisper.

"Don't thank me," replied House.

"-it's your job," Eliza finished, giving him another squeeze.

"Thank you all for everything," Mary said, getting emotional. "Words really aren't enough."

"You're welcome," responded Cuddy.

And with that, Eliza and her mother vanished out the front door and into the summer afternoon.


	30. Idiopathic

**Ch 30 Idiopathic**

As soon as Eliza and Mary had left, House disappeared, jerking his head to signal the ducklings to follow him. Cuddy had important business to attend to, and left as well. The physical therapist had an appointment, so she headed off too. Dr. Wolfe and Dr Wilson were left milling around in the lobby.

"Remarkable girl," Dr Wolfe remarked. He was an older doctor, with silver hair and a kind smile. He had been the head of the hematology department for about 8 years. "She came to the consult with her mom. I was nervous about that at first, but she seemed to understand everything. Then, when I asked if she had any questions, she looked at her mom like she was getting permission, then asked 'What caused my disease?'"

"There's a doozy," said Wilson, who had been asked that oft-unanswerable question many times.

"Yeah,"Dr Wolfe assented. "So I gave her the usual- lots of different possible causes, exposure to radiation, a virus, certain medications. And of course, I told her that in most cases the cause is idiopathic-we don't know what caused it."

"Yup," agreed Wilson.

"But then," continued Wolfe, "she muttered 'Yeah idiopathic, from the Latin idio- meaning you're idiots because you can't figure out what caused it.' "

"She said that?!" Wilson was shocked, but vaguely remembered hearing it somewhere before.

"Yeah, I was surprised too. She even seem surprised at what had come out of her mouth. Her mom made her apologize. She said she was very sorry and shouldn't have said that but it was frustrating because she had asked every doctor she ever had that same question and she kept getting the same answer."

"That would drive me crazy," agreed Wilson, "if I had a rare, life-threatening illness and no one could tell me why. I feel for her."

"I felt bad too," Wolfe admitted. "She's gone through so much. You know, she told me her rough estimate for how many "needle sticks" she'd had so far was over 500?"

"Really?" exclaimed Wilson. "That's horrible."

"I know. I don't think I'd be at all cooperative if I was in her place. I don't know how those kids do it," Wolfe said. Wilson let a faint smile cross his lips. He knew. The smile quickly disappeared when he realized they were standing outside of Eliza's now -empty room. Both doctors were quiet for a minute, thinking about how they would always remember that little girl.

"You know what she told me that she thought caused her disease? She thinks a virus or bacterial infection she had mutated in reproduction and ended up looking like a blood cell. Her white cells then went crazy trying to destroy her own cells. This stressed her bone marrow, causing it to produce the genetic abnormality she has. I wanted to hear more of her explanation, but our time was up and she had to go to PT."

"You're kidding," insisted Wilson. "No way she came up with that by herself."

Dr Wolfe shook his head. "I asked her mom about it later on and she said she hasn't studied anything other than what's taught in school and on Bill Nye the Science Guy. The word auto-immune and the definition have been thrown around in front of her, but other than that, she came up with it all on her own."

"Maybe we _should_ offer her a job next summer," remarked Wilson.

"If she survives," said Wolfe. It had kind of slipped out of his mouth, but both doctors stood in silence for a while, contemplating that very unpleasant reality. The silence was broken by Wilson's pager going off.

"Got to go," he explained, and the two doctors parted.


	31. News Clippings

**Ch 31 News Clippings**

Time passed. Days, weeks, months, years. House and the ducklings handled cases, paperwork, clinic duty and everything else in the unusual norm they had established long ago.

A few days after the fact, Wilson related the conversation he had with Dr Wolfe to House. House merely raised his eyebrows and said, "Brain switch, I'm telling you."

Beyond that, they never spoke of her again. Wilson thought of her occasionally and he could tell House did too, because whenever Cuddy forced him to wear his name tag, he wore it with the clip Eliza had made.

Dr Cameron knew House thought about her too. One day when she was filing papers, she noticed House's bottom file drawer was open. Under Esther and Ian's folders was Eliza's huge file. A few pictures and news clippings were hanging out of it. When she looked closer, Cameron saw they were computer printouts of newspaper articles about Eliza. Most were about a fund raising effort she had started for bone marrow research. Another was about how Eliza used web-cams to 'attend' school while in isolation after transplant. Well, she did go to transplant eventually, Cameron thought. She was about to close the drawer, when something caught her eye. Under the news clippings were a couple of dog-eared Polaroid pictures. They showed House and Eliza posed by the bed in her room. In one, they were smiling nicely, while in the other they were both wearing extremely contorted, goofy expressions. Cameron almost laughed out loud. Tucking the pictures back in the folder, Cameron wondered yet again why and how this patient had affected House so much. Like many things about her boss, she assumed she would never know.


	32. Same old, same old

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the positive reviews, keep 'em coming! Just a reminder, there are two more chapters after this one. Thanks for reading!**

**Ch 32 Same old, same old**

Much more time had passed. It was now seven years later.

House was sitting in his office, doing nothing in particular, flipping through _People_ magazine. A teen- aged girl came in, dressed in a sweatshirt, jeans, and flip-flops. Barely looking up, House said,

"Candy stripers go to the lobby."

"Do I look like a candy striper to you?" the girl scoffed. Her voice had a sarcastic edge that House recognized. He looked up. The girl had pulled a faded, well-loved Red Sox ski cap from her pocket. "Remember me, Dr House?" she asked nervously.

"Eliza?" House asked, a trace of disbelief in his voice.

"In the flesh," she responded, sounding relieved that she was remembered "So what have you been doing with yourself ?"

"Same old, same old," House remarked, trying to be blase.

"No more polio cases?"

"Not since you. You know, I should be asking you what you did with yourself since you broke out of this joint."

"Not much. Went to more consults. Was transfusion dependent for a year and a half. Got a baby brother who was a 6 out of 6 match. Had a transplant in New York with," she paused for breath, " an Aplastic protocol. No radiation." House smiles at this. "In and out of the hospital in three weeks, no IV nutrition, but lots of rashes. CMV, isolation, shingles. Missed most of fourth grade, but I got tutored at home. Went back to normal life. Played soccer and basketball, got straight As, learned to play the clarinet. I'm first clarinet in the school band, on the high honor roll, and I was in the school musical, did a robotics science competition. And that's just the highlights," she finished with a big smile.

House didn't show it, but inside he was happier than he had been in a long time. She survived, and she thrived is all he could think.

"So same old, same old for you too?" he deadpanned.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," she replied, laughing.

"So what brings you back?"

"Well, we're on our way to D.C. for a family vacation. Mom and I thought it would be cool to come back and see you and Dr Wilson. I already saw him, Dr Cameron, Dr Foreman, and Dr Chase. So I thought I'd come and say hi and thank you again," she said, this time approaching House and opening her arms wide. They quickly embraced. Eliza stepped back and handed House a folded piece of paper.

"It's a poem I wrote. It was inspired by all the doctors I met on my journey, but especially you, Dr House," she smiled. "I hope you like it," Eliza walked toward the door. As she was about to leave, House called out.

"Wait!" He was holding something out to her. Eliza crossed the room and took it, and as she looked at it, her face lit up. It was the picture that had been taken of the two of them on the first day she had walked after her polio treatment. They were making very silly faces. Eliza sensed how much this picture must mean to House, and she looked up and held his powerful gaze with her own, which was almost as intense.

"Thank you, Dr House," she responded, "for everything."

Her words spoke volumes, but the unspoken between them said even more. House watched her leave, knowing she was the kind of patient that was truly one in a million.


	33. What a crappy universe

A/N: One more chapter after this. Thanks for reading and for all the great reviews!

**Ch 33 What a crappy universe**

After Eliza left, House went out to his balcony to think. He was not very surprised to see Wilson already there, watching the sun set.

"She visited you too, huh?"

"Yup." A minute passed in silence.

"Well..." Dr Wilson prompted.

"Well what?" House asked, with a knowing smile.

"Well, aren't you going to brag about how you were right and I was wrong about her transplant?"

"I think she did it for me. Did you hear what she said? 6 out of 6 match, 3 weeks in the hospital, no IV nutrition and practically no complications. It's like the Cadillac of transplants."

"You said it," responded Wilson, surprised but glad House wasn't going to gloat. "I wish all my kids had transplants like that."

"In addition," House preached, "she seems to have benefited from avoiding those nasty long term effects. She plays a sport in which height is important, she's on the honor roll and 1st chair in the band, both of which you need a brain for."

Wilson agreed with House and added, "She's only going back for follow-up once a year, that's it. I never dreamed she'd do so well."

"Me either."

Wilson nodded. "It crazy when you think we weren't sure she was going to live."

"Yeah, it is. Where'd she end up for transplant?"

"Memorial Hospital in New York City." Wilson told him, then hesitated, before confessing: "She.. she told me she met Andie there - autopsy-kill-her-for-a-little-while-girl -" he explained to House's confused face. House nodded in understanding and Wilson continued, "she met her there - two years after Andie left our hospital.. in group therapy for kids who have been through treatment."

A range of emotions played on House's face. "So Andie's alive, still, and they met but..."

Wilson agreed somberly, "They're not OK."

House frowned. "But they were both so different in the way they handled things."

Wilson shook his head. "Yes and no. Did you ever see either of them ever indicate that they were in pain other than in matter-of-fact medical terms? Did either of them ever really talk about their feelings? They both used ways of impressing the adults around them to distract from what was going on."

House realized Wilson was right. It bothered him to think how tortured his patients were, how deeply scarred. But he also saw that both of them were trying to move on, seeking help to get over their past. He knew what it took to do that. He didn't have it. These two little girls did. They were made of strong enough stuff to work to get on with their lives. But, he realized, one of them probably didn't have much life left to move on with. Sensing his question, Wilson answered it.

"Andie's prognosis is still technically the same. She's defying the odds every day by waking up. I talked to her mom recently, and they're in New York to try some experimental treatments, but it probably won't buy her any time. Her mom says to tell Chase thanks- the butterflies were beautiful."

"So they're just waiting for things to go downhill?"

"Pretty much."

"What a crappy universe."

Wilson tried to laugh, but he found he really couldn't. House turned and went back into his office.


	34. Doctors Aren't Real People

A/N: This is the final chapter. Thank you all so much for reading, and for all your kind reviews.

**Ch 34** **Doctors aren't real people**

Once House was at his desk, he opened the folded paper Eliza had left him. It was a poem, written in a child's hand, but neatly. It was entitled _Doctors Aren't Real People_. House read the poem, barely holding back a laugh.

_Doctors aren't real people_

_And I think all they know_

_Is how to make human beings_

_grow and grow and grow!_

_They don't know how to have_

_just a bit of fun_

_All they know is_

_'After cyclosporine, stay out of the sun'_

_People learn what they live,_

_it goes for doctors too._

_So, next time you see your doctor,_

_say to him or her from you:_

_'Hey buddy, get a life, doctors need them too'_

When he finished, House let go and laughed like he hadn't in ages. Under the poem was a note.

_Author's note:_

_This poem is a generalization meant to entertain, not offend. Doctors do not all fit this description. Some are very much 'real people' and I apologize to them, but hope they find this poem amusing. Some doctors fit this description to a 'T', and I hope that they do not recognize themselves in this poem. Some doctors are a confusing mix of real and unreal, and it is to one of them, Dr Gregory House, that I dedicate this poem. - Eliza Johnson_

House carefully folded the poem back up and added it to Eliza's file in the bottom drawer. He knew he would always remember her, and wondered if there would ever be another patient like her. Probably not, he thought, smiling.

I'll only be that lucky once.

THE

END


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